Friday, 9 November 2012

Peanut Butter Bottomed Chocolate Loaf

There are countless gorgeous cake recipes out there, all covered with innumerable forms of deliciousness, so I thought it would be interesting to try bottoming this chocolate loaf instead of topping. I've gone for a sweet and salty peanut butter mixture on the bottom, as I'm in a nutty phase as the moment and as for the loaf itself, I used cocoa powder and ground almonds to ensure a moist, fudgy texture.Prep time: 20 MinutesBaking time: 50-60 MinutesFor the bottom100g Peanut Butter100g Light Muscovado SugarAsprinkling of Ground Sea SaltFor the loaf175g Unsalted Butter (Unsalted)175g Caster Sugar3 Medium Eggs75g Ground Almonds1tsp Vanilla Extract 75g Plain Flour50g Cocoa Powder1tsp Baking PowderPreheat the oven to 170C/325F/Gas 3, grease a 20cm loaf tin and line the base with baking paper. In a bowl combine the peanut butter and muscovado sugar. Sprinkle a little sea salt into the tin, then using your hands break off little pieces of the peanut mix and gently press into the base. You should have enough to just about cover the entire base. In a fresh bowl cream together the butter and the sugar, then beat in the eggs one at a time. Fold through the ground almonds and vanilla extract, then sift in the flour, cocoa powder and baking powder and mix to a smooth batter. Spoon the mixture over the top of the peanut butter mixture then bake in the centre of the oven for around 50-60 minutes, until a metal skewer comes out slightly sticky when inserted into the middle of the loaf. Remove from the oven and leave in the tin for about 20 minutes, then carefully turn out and leave to cool completely on a wire rack. Slice and enjoy. Bottoms up!